IT solutions provider shares the value of Cyber PATH services

FOS.net is an IT support solutions provider with a 30-year trading history in the South East of England. For three decades, the family-owned business has built an excellent reputation for supporting SMEs in Essex, Kent, Hertfordshire and Greater London. As an SME, it understands the challenges faced by businesses of a similar size, so its solutions are based on a genuine understanding of their needs.

FOS.net is a member of the Cyber Resilience Centre for the East (ECRC), which they have found invaluable for both their own business and their clients. Working with the ECRC, they were introduced to the Cyber PATH programme, which provides fully funded technical services to SMEs and third-sector organisations and offers real-world paid work experience to cyber students.

The company are well placed to recommend the Cyber PATH services because they have used them extensively in their own business. After experiencing the Internal Vulnerability Assessment, Microsoft 365 Service, and Security Awareness Training, FOS were in no doubt that Cyber PATH could provide enormous benefits to their clients. So far, nine of their clients have used and benefited from a range of services that not only help their companies but also enable FOS to deliver more tailored services that are relevant to each client’s needs. These include a food production company in Chelmsford and a Mechanical & Electrical contractor based in Welwyn, both of whom have used Cyber PATH services to better understand their security posture and inform future investment.

Speaking about the Cyber PATH programme, Senior Account Manager at FOS, Chris Squires said: “We have found the Cyber PATH services very useful in our own business, so it wasn’t a difficult decision to start recommending it to our clients. Naturally, we want them to be cyber resilient, and the independent assessments from a police-led programme reassure them. It means they are better prepared to have informed discussions with us to determine what services they need from FOS.

“Because these services are fully funded, it means our clients can focus their often-limited budget on the things they really need to make them resilient. Every client who has used the Cyber PATH programme has been impressed by the quality of the services and the expertise available to them, free of charge. This reflects well on FOS for raising awareness of the independent, fully funded services.”

Many of FOS’s clients have used multiple Cyber PATH services, meaning our students have gained many paid days of valuable real-world experience. Chris Squires added, “Another significant element of encouraging our clients to utilise the Cyber PATH services is that it supports the flow of cyber talent into the industry. We need to ensure there is a robust talent pipeline so that companies like FOS can thrive in the future. Cyber PATH is helping ensure we encourage talented individuals to explore and pursue careers in cyber.”

Cyber PATH Services are available to SMEs and third sector organisations; their services include:

• Security Awareness Training

• First Step Web Assessment

• Internal Vulnerability Assessment

• Web Application Assessment

• External Vulnerability Assessment

• Microsoft 365 Service

• Individual Internet Discovery

• Corporate Internet Discovery

• Cyber Business Continuity Review

• Cyber Security Policy Review

To find out more about each of these services, visit the Cyber PATH website and learn how they can support your organisation.

Thank you to FOS.net for recognising the valuable services provided by the Cyber Resilience Centre network, and for sharing them with their valued clients. If you’d like to find out more about the Cyber Resilience Centres, or to register with your regional centre, please use the postcode locator here.